Thank you, Mr. Picco. Mr. Ng.
Debates of May 22nd, 1996
Topics
Bill 11: Appropriation Act, 1996-97 Department Of Justice
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 560
Bill 11: Appropriation Act, 1996-97 Department Of Justice
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 560
Kelvin Ng Kitikmeot
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, there have not been any reviews done of the community justice specialist and the overall community justice system we have now. That's one of the things that we're looking at in this report that we're going to be providing, hopefully in June. Thank you.
Bill 11: Appropriation Act, 1996-97 Department Of Justice
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 560
Bill 11: Appropriation Act, 1996-97 Department Of Justice
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 560
Edward Picco Iqaluit
In this report that we will be looking at in June, I would gather from your statement, Mr. Minister, that in reality we are looking at having some type of review on the community justice program as it is now and the specialists that we have in place in the communities. Is that correct?
Bill 11: Appropriation Act, 1996-97 Department Of Justice
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 560
Bill 11: Appropriation Act, 1996-97 Department Of Justice
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 560
Kelvin Ng Kitikmeot
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, it's more of a review of what we've done to date or the lack of what we've done to date, depending on how you want to perceive it as far as community justice programming goes. It will be trying to outline the direction in which we're trying to head in future years, to establish or make this program more successful in trying to keep more people in our communities. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Bill 11: Appropriation Act, 1996-97 Department Of Justice
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 560
Bill 11: Appropriation Act, 1996-97 Department Of Justice
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
May 22nd, 1996
Page 560
Edward Picco Iqaluit
So this will be an internal review, I would assume. Will this internal review be made available to the Members of this House?
Bill 11: Appropriation Act, 1996-97 Department Of Justice
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 560
Bill 11: Appropriation Act, 1996-97 Department Of Justice
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 560
Kelvin Ng Kitikmeot
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, through the Social Programs committee, I would think it would be available to all Members. Thank you.
Bill 11: Appropriation Act, 1996-97 Department Of Justice
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 560
Bill 11: Appropriation Act, 1996-97 Department Of Justice
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 560
Michael Miltenberger Thebacha
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I have one question for the Minister. Does the Minister have any idea how many people are currently incarcerated for non-payment of fines or very minor crimes?
Bill 11: Appropriation Act, 1996-97 Department Of Justice
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 560
Bill 11: Appropriation Act, 1996-97 Department Of Justice
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 560
Kelvin Ng Kitikmeot
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. No, I don't have that information. Thank you.
Bill 11: Appropriation Act, 1996-97 Department Of Justice
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 560
Bill 11: Appropriation Act, 1996-97 Department Of Justice
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 560
Michael Miltenberger Thebacha
Would the Minister be able to get that information, especially to look at issues like community justice and diverting people out of the system? If we have any numbers at all of people in jail for non-payment of fines, can we afford to run a debtors' prison? Are there more constructive ways to make people pay their debt to society? Thank you.
Bill 11: Appropriation Act, 1996-97 Department Of Justice
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 560
Bill 11: Appropriation Act, 1996-97 Department Of Justice
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 560
Kelvin Ng Kitikmeot
Yes, Mr. Chairman, we'll try to get that information for the Member. Thank you.
Bill 11: Appropriation Act, 1996-97 Department Of Justice
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 560
Bill 11: Appropriation Act, 1996-97 Department Of Justice
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 560
Roy Erasmus Yellowknife North
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I just wanted to indicate that my comment after my questioning last time
about the information that the Minister had provided, I know it didn't come from him, it came from his staff. I didn't quite have the information I wanted, so I wanted to make it clear that I was thanking him for that new information.
If the department is not willing to look at electronic monitoring, how does the Minister purport to ease the overcrowding in our correctional centres?
Bill 11: Appropriation Act, 1996-97 Department Of Justice
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 561
Bill 11: Appropriation Act, 1996-97 Department Of Justice
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 561
Kelvin Ng Kitikmeot
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I think through the community justice initiative we're trying to establish and create diversional alternatives for individuals, instead of having to send them to our existing correctional facilities and trying to focus more on restorative types of programming by keeping them in the communities and having them work with community groups. It's not just so much as trying to take some of the pressure off the existing system, but not to add to it. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Bill 11: Appropriation Act, 1996-97 Department Of Justice
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 561
Bill 11: Appropriation Act, 1996-97 Department Of Justice
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 561
Roy Erasmus Yellowknife North
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I saw in the paper that a very authoritative person was quoted as saying that people are stacked like cordwood in the correctional centres. How long is this going to take to be effective?
Bill 11: Appropriation Act, 1996-97 Department Of Justice
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 561